Rotary photogravure printing apparatus



A. M. HALLEY ROTARY PHOTOGRAVURE PRINTING APPARATUS sept. 22, 1953 Filed June 29, 1950 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 PHOXOGRAVUREQPRINSEING APPARATUS AngusMun-ayflalley, Museleyyirmingham,

:England sured for all positions or `settings of the doctor I blade housing as provided for in the description of `mycc-pendingapplication No. 171,151 of even date.

Theinvention consists of a-rotary photogravure printing apparatus incorporating `means Lfortreci-procating a doctor blade relative to an image cylinder comprising a pair of driven pinions'possessing 4a .different number vof vteeth each meshing with one of a pair of pinions freely rotatable about a spindle "to V:be -reciprocat'ed one of said last mentioned pinions` :being restrained from axial movement relative to. thefzreciprocal .shaft and being integral with cr connected toa sleeve in which vis formed an endless circumferential cam track engaged by a pin or roller carried by the other pinion about the reciprocal shaft which last mentioned pinion is restrained from axial movement.

The invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a longitudinal sectional View of the means for reciprocating the doctor blade housing. 'I'he printing apparatus is desirably of the kind described in my co-pending application No. 171,151 of even date wherein there is provided a quasi-cylindrical housing I for a doctor blade (not shown) which housing is mounted in end plates 2 capable of being rocked about the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical sealing member 3. In operation it is desirable that the doctor blade should be reciprocated longitudinally relative to the image cylinder with which it is adapted to have peripheral contact and to this end, according to the present invention, the doctor blade housing I is axially reciprocated by the following means.

Rotatably mounted on a stub axle 4 in axial prolongation of the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical sealing member 3 are a pair of pinions 5 and 6, the pinion 5 having one tooth more than the other pinion 6. Desirably these two pinions 5 and 6 are mounted on or formed integral with a common sleeve 'I and the pinion 6 is of greater axia1 length than the pinion 5 for a reason which will become apparent from` the later description. The pinion 6 .is in mesh with a pinion `v8 formed lin -a sleeved "having Aantifriovftionrmounting I0 about-'a 'trunnion vIl on the Aone-end ofthe doctorbla-d'ehousing lythis sleeve 9 being prevented from axial movement-*relative tothe trunn-ion II by'means of ykey rings I2 and shoulders "I3 on the trunnion against which the fend of "the-one Aariti--rriction mount-'ing I 0 abuts. 'The pin'ioni is'in mesh with -a 'pinion I4 formed on -asleeveA I 5'` having an annular groove I6 'engaged-by a key II secured to the end plate 2 by a' 'pin' I8; vv'Thus Asincey the endV Apilates are restrained from axial movement on the stub 'axle fixed tothe frame vI9 vof the machine the sleeve iI 5r restrained irom any axial move'- ment. The sleeve I5k carries a lradial and 'inwardly Idirected-pin 2U ycarrying a; roller A'2| 'engaging in ya peripheral vendlesscam track-'22' Ain thesleeve 9.

YIn-"operation it `Lwill -1be 'appreciated thaty when the pin`ions"`5"'and. 6 are rotated lby anys-convenient means Y'then'byvirtue of the diierent'number of teeth on their peripheries, the pinions I4 and 8 and therefore the sleeves I5 and 9 are rotated at slightly different speeds and since the F sleeve I5 cannot move axially the sleeve 9 is caused to move axially together with the doctor blade housing I by the movement of the roller in the cam track 22 thereby imparting a slow constant longitudinal reciprocation to the doctor blade. The fact that the pinion 5 is of substantial axial width ensures that the driving engagement between the pinions 6 and 8 is maintained during the reciprocation of the doctor blade housing. It will be appreciated that this construction admits of a constant reciprocation of the doctor blade housing I for all settings of the end plates 2 about the axis of the stub axle 4.

What I claim is:

1. In a rotary photogravure printing apparatus means for reciprocating a doctor blade housing comprising in combination, an extension of the doctor blade housing, a first pinion freely rotatable about said extension but restrained from axial movement relative thereto, a second pinion freely rotatable about said extension but restrained from axia1 movement relative to the apparatus, a pair of positively driven pinions rotatable about a common axis and each meshing with one of said first and second pinions, the gear ratio between said rst pinion and the positively driven pinion meshing therewith being different from the gear ratio between the second pinion and the positively driven pinion meshing with said second pinion, and a cam engagement between said rst and second pinions for converting relative rotation between said first and second pinions into a reciprocal motion of the doctor blade housing.

2. In a rotary photogravure printing apparatus means for reciprocating a doctor blade housing comprising in combination, an extension of the doctor blade housing, a rst sleeve rotatable about said extension and restrained from axial movement thereon, a pinion on said rst sleeve, a second sleeve rotatable about the first sleeve and restrained from axial movement relative to the apparatus, a pinion on said second sleeve, a cam track in one of said sleeves, a roller on the other of said sleeves engaged in the cam track for converting relative rotation between the two sleeves into an axial movement of the iirst sleeve and a pair of positively driven pinions mounted upon a common axis, one of.

said last pinions meshing with the pinion in the first sleeve with a particular gear ratio and the other meshing with the pinion in the second sleeve with a gear ratio different from the particular gear ratio.

3. In a rotary photogravure printing apparatus means for reciprocating a doctor blade housing comprising in combination, an extension of the doctor blade housing, a rst sleeve rotatable about said extension formed with a peripheral cam track therein and restrained from axial movement relative to the said extension, a second sleeve rotatable about said first sleeve and restrained from axial movement relative to the apparatus, an inwardly directed pin in said second sleeve engaging the cam track in said rst sleeve for converting relative rotation between the rst and second sleeves into a reciprocal motion of the rst sleeve, pinions on each of said sleeves, and a pair of driving pinions mounted for rotation about a common axis, said driving pinions meshing With said sleeve pinions 4 one at one gear ratio and the other at a different gear ratio.

4. In a rotary photogravure printing apparatus means for reciprocating a doctor blade housing according to claim 3, comprising also a roller around the pin on the second sleeve engaging the cam track in the rst sleeve.

`5. In a rotary photogravure printing apparatus means for reciprocating a doctor blade housing comprising in combination, sideplates rockable about a xed axis, trunnions on the doctor blade housing mounted in said side plates, a rst sleeve rotatable about one of said trunnions having a peripheral cam track and an integral pinion and being restrained from axial movement on the trunnion, a second sleeve with integral pinion mounted about the iirst sleeve and having an annular groove, a key xed to the adjacent side plate and engaged in said annular groove, an inwardly directed pin on said second sleeve, a roller about said pin engaging the cam track in the iirst sleeve and a pair of driven pinions mounted for rotation about an axis coincident with the fixed axis about which the side plates may be rocked each in mesh one at one gear ratio and the other at a different gear ratio with one of the pinons on the rst and second sleeves.

ANGUS MURRAY HALLEY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,594,277 Stanley July 27, 1926 1,824,938 Voorhees Sept. 29, 1931 1,876,506 Lee Sept. 6, 1932 2,323,983 Edmondson July 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 668,194 Germany Nov. 28, 1938 

